The Steelers' recent release of J.J. Wilcox was the immediate and expected response after they drafted two safeties in Terrell Edmunds of Virginia Tech and Marcus Allen of Penn State. While we've done a couple film reviews of Edmunds already as the team's first pick in the draft, Allen's skills give him a good chance to earn a contributing role on the team, even as a rookie.
In his time with Penn State, Allen made himself into a hard-hitting safety who recorded over a hundred tackles in his junior season and had significant playing time all four years. His hard-hitting style helped in his pass defense, but especially against the run. We examine his college tape to highlight how he built that reputation:
Allen's size is similar to Edmunds' as both are 6-foot-2 and Allen weighs only two fewer pounds than Edmunds at 215. Whereas Edmunds stood out in multiple events at the NFL combine, Allen didn't run in the 40-yard dash and, of the four events which he did participate, the only exceptional one was the broad jump, where he ranked 10th among all safeties with a 127.0 inch leap.
Where Allen excelled for Penn State was in how he supported the run, regardless of where he lined up. Here he is against Pitt lining up as the single high safety 15 yards off the ball, but closing the distance quickly enough to limit the gain. Notice how Allen quickly accelerated, squared up, and then hit and wrapped to shut the play down in space:
Allen's stopping power as a hitter was seen all around the field. He was often able to lower his pad level to the chest and strike at the right target area to deliver big hits that created a huge impact while avoiding penalties.
Allen only had two passes defensed in his senior season, but he made them by delivering a hit on the intended receiver instead of making a play on the ball. While the Steelers have seen several safeties that have played that kind of football, Mike Mitchell included, Allen is a younger and cheaper version who can still develop.
Here's an example against Pitt where Allen delivered a perfectly-timed hit that separated the ball from the receiver:
Hitting for separation is an important aspect of an enforcer-type of safety. Allen's ability to take the right angle and attack ball carriers with the discipline to avoid helmet-to-helmet contact, while still delivering big hits, allowed Penn State to let him line up in the box and sometimes play as an extra linebacker.
Watch how Allen scrapes from the weak side of the play across the field to make a hit on the ball carrier running off tackle. As the back spins off his previous hit, he doesn't see Allen coming and Allen puts his helmet directly on the ball, forcing a fumble:
In run support, Allen not only brought solid tackling and hitting fundamentals, but he looked solid in helping to fill his assigned gaps. Even when he had to protect the edge out in space, Allen looked adept at maintaining his role and mitigating blockers in the way of his target.
Here's an example of that as he sits in the perfect position off the defensive end to gain leverage and avoid the pulling tackle so that he can get a clear shot on the running back and record the safety:
But Allen's ability to strike ball carriers from a distance isn't the only way he can contribute, as Allen has shown the ability to take on and destroy lead blockers to help his teammates, and also work through those blocks to make the tackle himself.
Here he is in the Taxslayer Bowl at the end of the 2015-2016 season against Georgia where he forces a fumble by flying to the line of scrimmage from ten yards off the ball.
Watch how Allen accelerates to the ball and not only stuffs the fullback, but pushes him backwards, plows through him to get to the running back and forces not only a loss, but a fumble as he reaches his hand in and strips the ball from Sony Michel:
Allen's play on Michel, a first-round draft pick by the Patriots (31st overall), shows he has the power and explosiveness to compete with NFL-caliber players. And his understanding of gap integrity allows him to make an impact from deeper positions.
The biggest issue with Allen is his lack of comfort playing in coverage. While he's good at being physical at the point of attack and using his hands, and a strong player at protecting a zone, Allen did not exhibit ballhawk skills when he covered in space.
Whether or not he grows past projections will be interesting to see in his early years, but expect Allen to be an early special teams body and occasionally help in sub packages when the Steelers are looking to stop the run.